George H.W. Bush and the Death of Moderate Conservatism

Plus, more Republican voter fraud, a Brexit deal on thin ice, increased tensions with Russia, and the police shooting of a black “good guy with a gun.”

1. World leaders and politicians gathered at the National Cathedral to pay their respects to the recently deceased President George H.W. Bush. Much like John McCain before him, he leaves behind a complicated legacy. Here’s a breakdown.

The good:

• Bush was an apt statesman throughout his political career. He was a steadfast multilateralist and a strong proponent of the UN. This approach helped guide the world through the Cold War’s transition. Bush sought to welcome Eastern bloc countries, then newly formed former Soviet Union republics into the international community after the Berlin Wall fell. This made the world safer, not least because of denuclearization agreements that prevented nuclear arms from falling into nefarious hands.
• Bush led what was probably the US’ most legitimate and efficient military conflict in the Gulf War. The war to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi invasion had a clear UN mandate, a well-coordinated coalition, and fulfilled its objectives without dragging the US into a prolonged conflict. Bush’s call for Iraqis to overthrow Saddam without providing the needed military support did cause a slew of deaths in the country, but a subsequent no-fly zone in the north of Iraq allowed the Kurds to establish a semi-autonomous enclave there.
• On the domestic front, he signed into law the American Disabilities Act, which prohibited discrimination of disabled persons and increased accessibility in public, private, and workspaces.

The bad:

• Bush continued the Reaganomics of his predecessor, the conservative holy grail of lowering taxes and regulations for the wealthy and corporations. This policy is largely responsible for expanding inequality in the US, particularly on racial and ethnic lines. By the end of his term, it also helped lurch the economy into a downturn, something every Republican economic plan has done since.
• His record on protecting the civil rights of Americans is similarly abominable. He came out against civil rights protections during his presidential campaign, supported criminal justice policies that disproportionately targeted minorities, opposed federal funding and protections for abortion rights, and failed to provide funding for resources for people with HIV/AIDS while the epidemic was still highly prevalent.
• Bush also failed to stand up to the most heinous of his right-wing base. He was largely of the mind that placating the bigots and religious extremists in his own party was necessary to maintain power and realize Republicans’ more moderate policies. This capitulation gave rise to hyper-partisan conservatives who, over the course of the next quarter century, would lurch the party further rightwards, eventually giving rise to Donald Trump.

Moreover, the death of the 41st president symbolizes the death of the traditional conservative in the US. The values Republicans used to stand for- fiscal restraint, conservative morality, respect for the rule of law, and hostility towards totalitarian regimes like Russia’s- are largely gone and buried now that Trump has a stranglehold on the Republican party. Bigotry, economic populism, and a fondness for autocratic tactics have sprouted in their stead.

2. Republicans are hard at work proving this point this week in their efforts to undermine democracy in multiple states. An egregious example is in North Carolina’s 9th district, where they are looking to certify an election rife with heinous voter fraud. Republican Mark Harris leads in the race by about 900 votes, but the state board of elections has refused to certify the race, amid reports at least one individual misled voters into giving him absentee ballots, and in some cases, filling it out for them. in support of Harris. Republicans have tried to minimize the reports of this and other cases of voting irregularities throughout the midterms. For a party that supposedly cares about preventing voting fraud, Republicans are proving quite adept at it themselves.

3. Brexit negotiations are underway in Britain’s Parliament, as Prime Minister Theresa May tries to get enough support for the deal she agreed upon with European leaders. The first days have not offered much optimism for this happening. Not only did May fail to make gains, but MPs voted on two measures that will significantly hamper her Brexit deal’s chance of realization.

Parliament first found her in contempt for not providing enough information on her deal’s impacts, after she provided only a summary of findings. She must now provide more documents to Parliament before a final vote next week. Crucially, the Democratic Unionist Party, who Mrs. May’s Tory party depends on for governing, voted against her.

The second vote gives Parliament more powers over a second Brexit deal, should the current one be defeated. Ostensibly a move to avert a no-deal Brexit, this vote is seen as a step towards a second Brexit referendum, as it was backed by MPs who support remaining in the EU. At this point, those two options seem more likely than Mrs. May’s deal passing.

4. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned Russia that it has 60 days to comply with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty or risk its demise. The US has vowed to quit the treaty before, accusing Russia of not following it. It has now provided NATO with proof that its buildup of cruise missiles could allow Russia to strike Europe with little notice. Combined with the showdown in the Black Sea with Ukraine, tensions between Russia and the West is at its most frosty since at least the former’s annexation of Crimea.

5. New developments are emerging in the case of a 21-year old black veteran in Alabama who was shot by police after they mistook him for an active shooter. Emantic “EJ” Fitzgerald Bradford Jr. died at the hands of officers after drawing a gun he legally owned during an active shooting situation. Police tried to change the narrative several times about Bradford’s involvement. An autopsy commissioned by Bradford’s family shows that he was shot in the back, neck, and head and posed no threat to officers or the public. A judge has also ruled that police must now release all evidence to the lawyer representing Erron Brown, the man who police say was the actual shooter.

Mr. Bradford was the quintessential “good guy with a gun”, a law-abiding citizen whose military background ostensibly gave him the skills to protect the public from an armed criminal. However, it is increasingly apparent that, due to the color of his skin, his possession of a firearm earned him only multiple bullets in the back from law enforcement officers.